man said and smiled wickedly at the other warrior. âChains will suit them well,â he said wryly. âGive us the girl, and you can be on your way.â
âPlease â¦Â please â¦Â no â¦â The girl whispered to Gavin.
âWhere are you from and what is your business with the girl?â Gavin asked.
The other man had rejoined his partner. Both men stared fiercely at Gavin.
âThat is not your concern,â the leader said. âIt would be well for you to do as I say, or your ride to Chessington will end here!â
The other warriorâs hand came to rest on his sword. Gavin was amazed at their arrogance, for he commanded a force of fifteen brave knights and there were only two of them. However, he could not deny a sense of insignificance both in stature and in force. He wondered if perhaps more warriors were waiting in the trees. As the tension mounted, he remembered Kifusâs words of warning and his responsibility. Additionally, he was in no position to battle any sizable force with his prisoners under guard. If he chose to fight, he could very well lose not only some of his prisoners, but also the lives of some of his men.
âI am bound by the Code to protect the citizens of Chessington.â He looked down at the pleading eyes of the girl momentarily, and he felt even smaller. âThe affairs of Outdwellers are not the affairs of the Noble Knights,â he said and turned his eyes away from the girl.
One of the warriors dismounted and walked toward thegirl. She screamed and clutched Gavinâs leg, pleading all the while. Triumph turned his head toward the girl as if to shelter her. Something was wrong and Gavin felt sick. Fear, duty, humiliation, and responsibility pulled his heart in all different directions as the dark warrior grabbed one of the girlâs arms and ripped her away from Gavinâs leg.
âNo!â
she screamed, reaching for somethingâsomeoneâto grab on to.
The warrior dragged her to his horse and threw her onto the front of his saddle facedown. He mounted behind her and turned back toward the farm. The other warrior lingered a moment, again seeming to evaluate Gavin. He smiled in a way that gave Gavin chills, then turned to follow his companion back to the farm.
Gavin resumed their march to Chessington.
âWho were they?â one of the knights riding next to Gavin asked.
Gavin only shook his head. He did not speak the rest of the journey home, for he could not overcome the sickening feeling that emanated from the pit of his stomach and filled his whole body and spirit with sorrow. All that had once made him a proud and gallant knight seemed to be vanishing. He blamed the Followers for destroying his life, for all the evil that had befallen him.
The dark clouds above released another load of rain upon them as they rode, and Gavin ached for peace in his heart â¦Â a peace that now seemed so elusive.
That evening, Leisel came to Gavin and soothed his tormented heart with soft words of assurance and a gentle touch upon his arm. But every time he closed his eyes, the desperate, dirty face of a peasant girl was pleading with him to save her. He looked for the temporary peace that sleep usually held, but even his dreams refused to give him solace.
 DARK STEEL
Gavin continued to pursue the Followers like a prowling lion, and his methods became more harsh with each passing week. In his quiet moments, however, the seed of doubt grew. The more it grew and plagued his mind, so grew the fierceness of his persecution of the Followers. The sheer momentum of his actions would not allow a different course now, and his crusade to exterminate every Follower turned into an obsession. They feared Gavin more than any other knight, even Bremrick. It was a passion that overwhelmed him, yet with each step the gnawing teeth of doubt tore at his heart. His sleep became filled with restless fits of fragmented
âPlease â¦Â please â¦Â no â¦â The girl whispered to Gavin.
âWhere are you from and what is your business with the girl?â Gavin asked.
The other man had rejoined his partner. Both men stared fiercely at Gavin.
âThat is not your concern,â the leader said. âIt would be well for you to do as I say, or your ride to Chessington will end here!â
The other warriorâs hand came to rest on his sword. Gavin was amazed at their arrogance, for he commanded a force of fifteen brave knights and there were only two of them. However, he could not deny a sense of insignificance both in stature and in force. He wondered if perhaps more warriors were waiting in the trees. As the tension mounted, he remembered Kifusâs words of warning and his responsibility. Additionally, he was in no position to battle any sizable force with his prisoners under guard. If he chose to fight, he could very well lose not only some of his prisoners, but also the lives of some of his men.
âI am bound by the Code to protect the citizens of Chessington.â He looked down at the pleading eyes of the girl momentarily, and he felt even smaller. âThe affairs of Outdwellers are not the affairs of the Noble Knights,â he said and turned his eyes away from the girl.
One of the warriors dismounted and walked toward thegirl. She screamed and clutched Gavinâs leg, pleading all the while. Triumph turned his head toward the girl as if to shelter her. Something was wrong and Gavin felt sick. Fear, duty, humiliation, and responsibility pulled his heart in all different directions as the dark warrior grabbed one of the girlâs arms and ripped her away from Gavinâs leg.
âNo!â
she screamed, reaching for somethingâsomeoneâto grab on to.
The warrior dragged her to his horse and threw her onto the front of his saddle facedown. He mounted behind her and turned back toward the farm. The other warrior lingered a moment, again seeming to evaluate Gavin. He smiled in a way that gave Gavin chills, then turned to follow his companion back to the farm.
Gavin resumed their march to Chessington.
âWho were they?â one of the knights riding next to Gavin asked.
Gavin only shook his head. He did not speak the rest of the journey home, for he could not overcome the sickening feeling that emanated from the pit of his stomach and filled his whole body and spirit with sorrow. All that had once made him a proud and gallant knight seemed to be vanishing. He blamed the Followers for destroying his life, for all the evil that had befallen him.
The dark clouds above released another load of rain upon them as they rode, and Gavin ached for peace in his heart â¦Â a peace that now seemed so elusive.
That evening, Leisel came to Gavin and soothed his tormented heart with soft words of assurance and a gentle touch upon his arm. But every time he closed his eyes, the desperate, dirty face of a peasant girl was pleading with him to save her. He looked for the temporary peace that sleep usually held, but even his dreams refused to give him solace.
 DARK STEEL
Gavin continued to pursue the Followers like a prowling lion, and his methods became more harsh with each passing week. In his quiet moments, however, the seed of doubt grew. The more it grew and plagued his mind, so grew the fierceness of his persecution of the Followers. The sheer momentum of his actions would not allow a different course now, and his crusade to exterminate every Follower turned into an obsession. They feared Gavin more than any other knight, even Bremrick. It was a passion that overwhelmed him, yet with each step the gnawing teeth of doubt tore at his heart. His sleep became filled with restless fits of fragmented
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